Recs if you like Orbital...

Not all science fiction is laser battles and intergalactic warfare! This list is aiming for the softer side of sci-fi. The kind where the stars hum quietly, the characters pause to breathe, and discoveries are found within. ✨

I’m attempting to cultivate a collection of books that are low stakes, cozy sci-fi, filled with found family, gentle exploration, and quiet wonder. 😌

If you have recommendations, please leave them in the comments! 📝

All of his picks since 2008, both summer reading lists and yearly round-ups.

Books that are atmospheric, emotionally unsettling, beautifully written, a little weird, and linger long after you finish them.

Dive into these science fiction books that are shorter than 300 pages!

As always, open to any suggestions for additions to this list! 🙂

i don’t need to explain to anyone why the proliferation climate fiction has skyrocketed over the past few years. this new wave of climate fiction, from 2020-present (ongoing), refuses to exclude climate catastrophe from depictions of or changing world. these works are grounded in present and future realities, the speculative less ‘speculative’, and more predictive.

pink, sophisticated & sometimes fatale <3 (added some essential nonfic & poetry!)

Short books that you can read in a sitting, to help you achieve your yearly reading goal 🤭🥳 Feel free to mention anything else from the list, I'm so glad to add & check them out 😁

books where shit goes down in 24 hours or less

Books that have been shortlisted for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction. I compiled this list because the criteria (and Le Guin's works) resonate with me:

"The Prize will be given to a writer whose work reflects the concepts and ideas that were central to Ursula’s own work, including but not limited to: hope, equity, and freedom; non-violence and alternatives to conflict; and a holistic view of humanity’s place in the natural world."

short books around 200 pages or less that you can easily read in one sitting! for those who just want a quick read or those trying to hit their reading goals ! i tried to include a variety of genres including lit fic, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, thriller, etc.

Works of literary fiction that blur the line between poetry and prose.

The Climate Fiction Prize celebrates 'the most inspiring novels tackling the climate crisis.' This list collects all longlisted titles since the award's inaugural year, 2024, and will be updated as future longlists are released. 2025 Winner: And So I Roar by Abi Daré | 2026 Winner: pending

On space travel and moon joy. 🌌 A mixture of non-fiction, historical fiction and hard science fiction.

The list of books which are science fiction but not exactly.

The "science" part is not that important. Technology, space ships or how to pursue the time travel - obsolete. Truly important are the questions about the human condition.

Hopefully, I'll expand it with time.

Open for recommendations😊

sunny settings, or books that feel sunny and offer escapism from the winter blues in an eclectic blend of genres.

Editing to add: okay some of these books are SAD, my dudes, just like my seasonal affective disorder. But at the same time, they are soft and kind and a safe place for the big sad, if that makes sense?

Books that are just as good as the cover promises. AKA: Fantastic book covers that also happen to be fantastic books! List will be added to in the future because I can’t leave well enough alone. (Suggestions welcome, leave it in the comments.)

Nominees for the Ursula K Le Guin Prize for for Fiction, awarded since 2022 for imaginative fiction. (Mostly I have made this because they're always really great picks and I want to work my way through all of them.)

I see a few lists on here with this theme, but they were short themselves - and I was looking for a more diverse selection. So, thought I'd make my own list and share it! Nice for reading goals, but mostly, I like breaking up the rhythm if I'm reading something exceptionally long.